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Internet-Zeitschrift für Kulturwissenschaften | 17. Nr. | September 2008 |
| Sektion 3.1. |
Culture sans frontières / Kultur ohne Grenzen / Culture without Borders Sektionsleiterin | Section Chair: Gertrude Durusoy (Izmir) |
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Internet-Zeitschrift für Kulturwissenschaften | 17. Nr. | September 2008 |
| Sektion 3.1. |
Culture sans frontières / Kultur ohne Grenzen / Culture without Borders Sektionsleiterin | Section Chair: Gertrude Durusoy (Izmir) |
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Elmira Gyul (Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan, Tashkent)
Email: egyul@yahoo.com
The destruction of totalitarian system and creation of the independent states in Central Asia has caused essential transformations in the culture sphere. Traditional values were sent on the foreground. The new ideological policy has proclaimed the value of national heritage. The priority of traditional art confirms the conclusions of culture scientists that, with finding independence in a society, ethno-cultural values are established as well as art experience of the last centuries.
Traditional art plays today the role of a national symbol: it is involved as one of the means of revival of cultural memory and strengthening of spiritual bases of independence, as the stabilizing factor, giving the sensation of security in an uneasy century of social changes, it forms identity of the nation learning its own forgotten history and reviving national values. Prospects of traditional art are connected and with more prosaic aspect: the more the culture is original, the easier it finds demand on the world market. Preservation of household traditions, clothes, jewels, utensils, local customs and holidays diversify programs in the market of tourism and entertainments.
Giving to a traditional applied art a so high status is an unique situation which was neither found in Russia, nor in Western Europe. This position is connected with that role which the applied art played on a patriarchal society by their spirit of belonging to a region, taking exclusively an important place in life and ceremonial practice. The mentality of the overwhelming majority of the population of modern Central Asia till now keeps communication with traditional consciousness, and consequently closer and even more clearly with traditional art. Gravitation to collectivist values is especially brightly shown at that part of a society which concerns tthe "passive-traditional type": "The spectator who has been critically adjusted to changes, frightened of new social and cultural realities, finds in the "religious and historical" object of art the answer to his need for search of lost cultural identity" (1). As a result, the art heritage as the carrier of the values checked up by centuries, acts as the stabilizing factor, giving a sensation of security in an uneasy century of social changes. This extremely important role of traditional art is also present in a transition period of development of a society and self-identification of public consciousness.
The attitude towards art heritage in the different countries of Central Asia, its interpretation and vision of its prospects have various character. Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan show a more free attitude to tradition with a dynamical realization in unexpected, new forms. The attitude to traditional art in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan is more careful, connected with aspiration to follow its classical samples. These distinctive features depend on the mentality in the past nomadic (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan) and settled-agricultural (Uzbekistan, Tajikistan) cultures.
At the same time, the future of traditional art is connected with a number of serious problems. First of all, it is a problem of ecology of traditional art, shortage of finance; a problem of total approach of a masscult, the Internet-culture, etc.
There was a huge work on revival, preservation and studying of traditional art in Uzbekistan during the years of independence. In 1996 has been created the International welfare fund "Оltin Meros" (Golden heritage), the purposes and subjects of which include topics like search, survey and account, purchase and preservation of unique objects from historical and a cultural heritage, an information work of information for the world community on national culture and art of Uzbekistan In 1997 have been created the Research-and-production center "Мussavir" (Artist) and the Republican special creative-production association "Usto" (master, teacher), called to restore some kinds of crafts and also applied art, to care of masters and artists, to promote skill training of youth , i.e. to undertake all measures for revival and developments of traditional forms of art. Due to the activity of these structures such almost forgotten kinds of crafts, as a heeltap, lacquer miniature painting, carpet weaving have gained a new revival.
The important event, among a number of measures directed on preservation of traditions of craft, became the Decree of the President of Republic ofUzbekistan " About measures of the state support of the further development of national art crafts and applied art " (1997). With a view of economic support handicraftsmen have been released from payment of surtax, the customs duties on sale of products of national crafts for limits of the republic are cancelled, the rank "Folk master of the Republic of Uzbekistan" was founded. On the basis of the Decree the decision on creation of associations of folk masters "Khunarmand" (Artisan) was accepted also. These structures have a branched network of the organizations in all areas of the republic. The state, having created a lot of important economic and legal conditions for development of traditional crafts, initiated development of a folk art. In our republic within the last ten years the quantity of the people, engaged in traditional crafts has considerably increased. First of all, for them it was a step on a way to an output from the complex economic situation which has developed in our republic in a transition period. Just like before, this kind of production becomes demanded in the national life. To no small degree it is connected with the mass revival of traditional ceremonies which never perform without products of arts and crafts. At the same time, craft production in essence became a basis of the souvenir market.
Thus, the government of the republic gives paramount value to revival of traditional kinds of art. The positive factor is also the active work of the international organizations and foreign experts. Their activity became possible thanks to the open state policy. Greater work on support of traditional art is spent by the office of UNESCO in Uzbekistan now. In particular, a special attention is given to the revival of the died away centers of ceramics. One of the largest recent actions is the declaration of Boysun, area of Surhandarya region as the Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible heritage of Humanity. It is both a recognition of uniqueness of edge where authentic forms of national culture up to now were kept, including crafts, and being a serious stimulus for their further development. As a result for last years there were the international folklore festivals and scientific conferences in Boysun, some complex expeditions have been lead , and their results docemented in monographies " Boysun. Atlas of artistic crafts" (A.Khakimov, E.Gyul, 2006), published by UNESCO, as well as “Boysun. Traditional musical culture" (R.Abdullaev, 2006). Also the Center of crafts where production is made exclusively from natural materials and dyes has opened.
Also the Swiss agency on development and cooperation works actively . As a positive example it is possible to quote here the result of the project on revival of an embroidery of the so-called center in the past, as Nurata, due to the grant of Swiss fund. Under aegis of SWISS agency there has been held a seminar "The Applied art of Uzbekistan at the present stage of social and cultural development" within the framework of the project "Art of Uzbekistan at the present stage" (2006). The overall objective of such seminars is to define problem questions, to adjust communication between handicraftsmen and scientists.
There is sometimes also lack of work of the international funds. Some projects have exclusively commercial character, not considering the specificity of traditional art and calculated on reception of profit. For example, in Khiva the association of folk crafts "Khunarmand" and the International charitable organization "Operation Mercy" with financial support of the British Council on manufacture of Suzane (large embroidery for walls) has been created. But in Khoresm there have never been made large embroideries, it is a traditional region of carpet making. The center is created without taking into account local traditions of art of Khoresm, one of the richest regions of Uzbekistan concerning traditional culture. Moreover, by means of work of the Center there will be destruction of its local originality. Thus, frequently especially commercial projects do not really support this kind of revival of traditions.
As a whole, positive dynamics in revival and further development of a traditional art heritage, certainly, are available, and are supported by the policy of the state directed on actualization of national cultural values, and support of the public, the international funds and the organizations.
At the same time, on this optimistical background, there are still the opinions, supports of traditional crafts calling urgence in that question . For this reason, at the seminars of the Swiss agency it was brought attention to the question: whether it is necessary to let revive traditional art. Opponents consider, that traditional forms of art are only imitation of the obsolete tradition and do not require any revival. However the interest of a society to its crafts, an applied art, confirm the importance of revival of traditional art, because this form of art gives us the information on centuries formed features of local art culture which has been partially lost during the XX .century. The reference to a heritage, its studying, helps to restore the interrupted circuit of times.
Strategy of development of traditional art is connected with the decision of a problem of the attitude to tradition : Whether modern masters should follow precisely the settled canons, or it is necessary to update art language. Certainly, further development of traditional art does not mean blind copying of ancient samples, the tradition is not a dogma. The history of art is always history of change of greater styles, each of which, at presence of the certain continuity and basic features, is a product of time. The new epoch dictates necessity of development of a modern art language. However, considering, that the tradition at the beginning of the XX century has been interrupted by virtue of those or other reasons, a stage of copying, restoration of traditional language of art also is quite justified. Today ,in practice, we are convinced of the importance of both ways of development. So, for example, strict copying of patterns of Nurata embroideries has made impression of a bowl of fresh air - at last we have seen the modern embroidery executed in classically pure style, with observance of all necessary technology and specificity of patterns. In turn, some miniature artists categorically reject copying medieval samples; having realized structural principles, laws of construction of space and the form in a miniature, they create a modern language of creative expression on their basis. Thus, both copying, and the innovative approaches based on tradition based principles, today are equally important, and should not be opposed to each other.
One of the major problems directly connected with the future of traditional art is a problem of quality of the production realized. On the one hand, masters aspire to use exclusively traditional technologies and natural materials, dyes and so forth - such "harmless" production gets today constant demand. On the other hand - active development of the market has led to falling of quality, mass manufacturing of cheap fakes, kitch. For example, in Ferghana Valley the market of ceramics is very active, manufacture and selling of utensils are frequently concentrated in one court yard that is very convenient for the tourist. It can be seen, how do clay products, and here and then something can be bought. However the pursuit of quantity, the aspiration to bulk selling rendera sharply negative influence on school, its safety. In conditions of the raised demand it is easier for artisans to stamp a batch production with a lung in execution patterns, than to create author's, original work in the classical style demanding good skills of drawing and the possession of a brush.
A similar situation develops with the demand for gold embroidery of Bukhara - for it leads to a domination on the market of low-standard, quickly made production. One more negative tendency - occurrence of poor-quality gold sewing in regions where it historically has not been developped (Surkhandarya, Kashkadarya, Ferghana Valley).
Certainly, traditional art, including folk art, as the phenomenon connected with experience of collective creativity is a self-cleared system. And frequently masters do not state serious fears on the account of destruction of schools; they are sure, that the tradition will be kept. Nevertheless, it is necessary to take measures for the control of work of masters, to create shop associations where the control over the quality of production would be adjusted, and the control over preservation of local specificity.
In connection with the aforesaid special value appears a problem of ecology of traditional art. Preservation of "cleanliness" of art, specificity of local schools – these are the most urgent problems for today. And to solve it, it would be easier to get the presence of professional criticism. Unfortunately, we have such a practice at which masters and critics work outside of contact with each other. As a result, the master is left to himself, exclusively to the experience and taste he got, and the critic frequently manages superficial-descriptive articles, not dealing with the essence of problems. Meanwhile, such actively developing centers and kinds of crafts today require a critical estimation, as Rishtan ceramics (Ferghana Valley), the Surkhandarya embroidery, gold sewing, a lacquer miniature and many other things.
These are the basic problems of development of arts and crafts at the present stage .. For their improvement it is necessary:
The traditional applied art today is the carrier of century values, and, at the same time, the alive, dynamically developing organism actively influencing modern art process with bright achievements and problems of growth. Thanks to a traditional applied art , the modern culture keeps the originality so valuable in a modernization century. Preservation of the original beginnings in an atmosphere of updating is the basic perspective purpose of traditional forms of art during a globalization epoch.
Literature:
Gaav L. Sovetskoe iskusstvo 1930-50 godov: epokha i ee simvoli v vospriyatii sovremennogo zritelya // Rossijskaya massovaya kultura kontsa ХХ veka. St.-Petersburg. 2001.
3.1. Culture sans frontières / Kultur ohne Grenzen / Culture without Borders
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